Reflector



Sept. 15,1925. 1,553,338 F. A. SULLlVAN REFLECTOR Filed March 10, 1923 'EQE 5 E25 Ham/v05 fl Smuvmv.

Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES FLORA-NOE A. SU L VAN, OF PORTLAND, OREGON REFLECTOR.

Application filed March 10, 1923.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FLORANOE'A. SULLI- VAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of- Oregon, have invented a new and useful Reflector, of whichthe following is a specification.

The present invention relates to reflectors,

and has particularly to do with a type of reflector adapted for use with automobile headlights and with portable lanterns.

The primary object of the invention is to 7 provide a reflector producing an increased volume of what maybe termed flood light; and secondarily, to combine in a single reflector means for obtaining a concentrated or beam light in connection with a large volume of surrounding flood light.

These, and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, are obtained" by the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of the parts of my device.

Reference will now be had to the single sheet of drawing accompanying this specification and made a part thereof, and in which z- Fig. 1 is a vertical. sectionof one form of' my reflect-er and atypical railroad lantern mounting therefor;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the reflector; and

Figs. 3 and 1 are modified forms of the device adapting it for use upon automobile headlights.

Like reference characters are used to designate similar parts in the specification which follows and in the drawing.

Reference will be first had to Figs. 1 and 2. Ordinal 10 represents the body or battery housing of a portable railroad lantern having at its bottom a plurality of legs 11, held in separated position by a ring-like member 12 adapted to be secured to legs 11 by soldering or brazing as is common in the art. Legs 11 are similarly secured to the body 10.

Ordinal 13 is used to indicate the reflector. This reflector comprises a central concave section 14 forming the internal reflecting surface, an annular external reflecting surface 15 contiguous to the concave section, and a rolled rim 16 about the external reflecting surface.

Protruding from the center of concave portion 14 is a lamp or light socket 17 into which an electric bulb .or flight 18 may be Serial No. 624,068.

screwed. Connection with the source of current may be had in any approved manner.

Reflector'13 may be permanently aflixcd to body 10 or secured thereto for ready dissociation therefrom by enveloping flanges l3 or'by clipsengaging rolled rim 16.

It is at once; apparent that the light source is disposed-in front of and on the .aXis of the reflector 13. The socket 17 projects sufliciently far thatthe center oflight in bulb 18 is positioned at a pointxforward of the intersection of imaginarydinesas extensions tothe, surfaces 15towards the axis of the reflector: Concave portion 14 is-qujite shallow, so shallow that therays of light emanating from the bulb 18 may be cast freely inall lateral directions:

Reflector 13 maybe spun or stamped, and ni'ckeled, silvered, or polished as an aid to reflection. r l

The structure of the reflector 13 having been stated briefly, its effect when the-bulb 18 is lighted willnow be describech Outwardly projected rays emanating from'thebulb- 18 will not be reflected but will continue in the direction of emanation Rays of light I strikingthe concave portionv are concentrated, and projected forwardly in a beam of parallel' rays or as a spot light; The reflect on therefore has a two-fold utility-the production of a luminous flood light spreading over a large sphere or field, and the production of a beam of light of parallel rays for the intense illumination of a small field.

In automobile headlights, it is usual to provide a barrel or cylinder about the source of light and to use a lens at the outer end of such cylinder. Where reflector 13 is so employed upon an automobile headlight, or otherwise, wide diffusion of light occurs in conjunction with the formation of a spot light. This is particularly notice able because the rays of light striking the surface 15 will be broken up and spread over a wide surface while a direct illumination by concentrated rays from the concave portion 14.- will also be had.

The reflector disclosed in Fig. 3 is substantially identical with that disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2 except that instead of a rolled rim 16 a forwardly projecting flange is provided to ,fit within the barrel or body of an automobile headlight. In this figure, the reflector is designated by the ordinal 33, the concave portion 34, the oblique annular reflecting surface 35, the flange 36, the socket 37, and the light bulb 38.

In Fig. 4, another modified form of the device is shown, the purpose thereof being to obtain the maximum distribution or cliffusion of light rays. ;-Such reflector, designated 43, comprises an oblique annular reflecting surface 45 disposed to disperse all rays of light striking it. An annular flange 46 identical with that shown in Fig. 3 is disclosed. There is in such construction no concentration of light rays into beams.

In the reflector shown in Fig. 3, the concave portion 34 will produce the spot effect hereinbefore described. The concentrated beams or plurality of light rays pass directly out of the lantern body. through the lens ordinarily used in conjunction therewith.

In Fig. 4, the concave portion or pocket is missing. But the effect of the annular reflecting surface 45 is identical with that of the same surface, designated 15 in Fig. 1 and 35 in Fig. 3.

Rays of light emanating from bulb 18 and forwardly thereof will pass directly through the lens employed in conjunction with the interior. Rays of light directly striking the headlight 12 or the flanges 36 and 46 forward of the center oflight will also pass through the headlight lens at a wide angle to add volume to the. flood light by unrefiected rays. Rays of light striking the interior of flanges 36 and 46 rearwardly of the center of light will be reflected rearwardly against'the inclined surface 35or from which surfaces they will be re flected forwardly through the lens to augment the diffused flood light heretofore referred to.

As the inclined surfaces 35 and 45 disposed rearwardly of the center of the source of light in the light bulb and the slightly oblique angle thereof is such that such surfaces receive the direct rays of light from the center thereof, additional rays are reflected against flanges 36 and 46 and thesurrounding headlight body and by these outwardly through the lens to be diffused over a wide sphere. The surface in-.

dicated constitutes the principal origin of the soft or diffused light emanating from a headlight of this character and construc tion.

It is to be expressly understood that I do not limit myself to the specific forms of the invention shown herein nor to the proportions disclosed, but set forth what I believe to be new in the claim hereto appended.

I claim:

A reflector in combination with a centrally disposed point source of light, and comprising a concave section immediately adjacent said light source and an annular truncated cone plane surface of less width than thediameter of said concave section about said concave section and extending to the margin of said reflector, the outer edge of said plane surface and the bottom of said concave section being in thesame plane, said source of light being at a point beyond the intersection. of imaginarylines drawn as extensions to the surface of said truncated cone portion.

FLORANCE A. SULLIVAN. 

